Fastening device



May 9, 1961 w. w. WINCHESTER, sR 2,983,011

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, .1959

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A'ITD RN EYS INVENTOR.

20 Wm flwiew/egsx U it e O FASTENINGDEVICE William Winchester, Sr., 2268,Westg'ate Ave., San Jose, Calif.

Filed Aug. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 835,963

2 Claims. (Cl.24-117) This invention is an improvement over thefastening device shown and described in my prior patent applica tionSerial No. 552,395 filed December 12, 1955 which is now abandoned.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device which'isespecially'suitable for use with shoes,

'boots or the like wherein the shoe lace or lacing can be Zing devicewhich can be used on any desired member such as a shoe, boot or the likeorsan article of clothing or any other article-or member, and whereinwith the fastening device of the present invention two separate portionsor members can be laced together, and wherein the ends of the lace areadapted to beheld secured without the necessity of tieing a bow, knot orthe liketherein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device whichis extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, and inwhich like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout thesame:

Figure l is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the fasteningdevice of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3. I

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of .Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational view similar to Figure 3, but :showing thefastening device secured to a support memiber which may be sewed orfastened to a portion of the article on which it is being used.

Figure 6 is a view taken at right angles to the view Shown in Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figure lof the drawings, the numeral 10 indisoaked or icy and it is also adaptedto be used on cates a portion of a member such as a shoe, boot or thelike which includes separate portions 11 and 12, and these portions 11and 12 are provided with a plurality of spaced apart eyelets 13 therein.The numeral 14 indicates a shoe lace or lacing which extends through theeyelets 13, as shown in Figure 1 for example, the portions of the lace14 are arranged in criss-cross' relation.

According to the present invention there is provided a fastening devicewhich is indicated generally by t-he'nu-,

meral 15, and as shown in Figure 1 oneof the fastening,

devices 15 is provided with each of the portions lland 12. Each of thefastening devices 15 has the same con structionand each'includes a mainbody portion 16 which is adapted to be fastened to the portions '11 or12 by fastening devices may be used with any desired article jsuchas'the rivets 17. Then, with the lacing 14 extended i through the eyelets13,, it will be seen that portions .of

extended through the loops 20 and through the retainers 'ene'd on theirinner surfaces so as to preventaccidental lacesaswell as soft laces, canheld or gripped.-- On" highly advantageous. fThe retainer or .ring22'will be can be freely inserted! through the retainer. 7 The entire"upper portion of "thef shoe will be steadied without any ice 2 v meansof securing elements such as rivets 17. InFigurcs 5 and 6 there isillustrated a modification'wherein :the}: fastening device is shownconnectedto fa s'u'pport'member or tab 18 by means of the securingelements 17, and the support member 18 may then in turn be fastened toporitions, such as the portions 1 1 and 12 by means of stitch?v ing19. VEach of the fastening devices "15 is provided Wit ha pair of spacedparallel curved sections or loops 20, and these sections 20 are adaptedto have projected therethrough portions of the lacing 14. Each end ofthe fastening device is providedwith a pair of opposed slots or cutawayportions 21, and the numeral 22 indicates a retainer which engages theslotted portions '21, for vexample as shown in Figure-4, and portions ofthe lacing are adapted to extend through the retainer 22,;as for exampleas shown in Figure 1. 'The innersurface of the retainer 22. may beknurled or roughened so as to provide a better gripping surface for theportion of the lacing which extendstherethrough.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has bee provided afastening device which is especially suitable. for use in securing lacessuch as the lace 14. The

such as a shoe, boot or the like, and as shown in Figure 1 a pair ofthese fastening devices 15 are connectedto the' portions 11 and 12 bymeans of securing'elements the lacing are adapted to be twistedtogether-and then 22 so as to maintain the lace or lacing in the.desired position. The retainers 22, as stated above, areroughdisengagement or unraveling of the lace. It will be seen that thelacing will be held firmly so that the lacing will not become undone oruntied, and it will not be necessary to tie a knot or bow or the like inthe lacing so as to retain the lacing in the desired position.

The parts may be made of any suitable material and in different shapesor sizes.

The fasteners can be knurled or plain, and can be in different sizes tohandle shoestrings, cord ropes and even i lightweightwire cables. It isespecially handy as a single lace or cord fastener to be used on rubberor for zippered garments. In thelatter case, it gives the wearer achance to draw the garment together without the necessity of having touse the slide fastener which is to be closed from the bottom. In usingthe fasteners on rubbers, it is handy as a single tie to keep therubbers from pulling off in mud, particularly in the case of children.In using the knurled type, it is particularly useful in holding wetrawhide, laces or ties which become very slick when smooth ropes that isused by truckers. in tightening the I loads or takeup on tarpaulincovers used on such loads and gives an extra grip or drag in addition tothe single grip. The fasteners can be used for laces, rope or the like.1

The knurled surface and the sharp angle serve to hold the lacing inposition regardless of how. tight or slack the lacing or line is andthere are no projections or ears} to catch on garments, fabricor thelike. Thus, a person could walk through roughground and bushes withoutsnarls or becoming entangled and rawhide or leather rubbers, on esinglela'ce with a fa t onrxeagh side: using either sidefor an anchor.right Orleftwill'prove.

held in, such a position by the slots= 21- so that the lacing 3 pullingor binding. The free ring or retainer 22 is arranged inwardly with thefasteners positioned as shown in Figure 1 and the retainer can also beused to hold the loose ends of the lace. The fastener can either bearranged on the inside or outside of the shoe or other article on whichit isbeing used. The retainer 22 is in nature of a movable ring or linkwhich will keep the lace or cordtight regardless of whether thereis astrain on the rest of the cord or not. The entire fastener may beknurled on the inner surface so as to give the neces sary frictionalgrip and the provision of the loops assure that the lace will besecurely gripped when the parts are arranged as shown in Figure 1 forexample. With the present invention the upper ends of laces will be heldin firm position by friction so that it is not necessary to tiethelaces. The fasteners can be used on footwear or other articles and canbe used to prevent slippage of the laces. The device may be fastened tothe shoe or article in any suitable manner, as for example by means ofstaples, clips, rivets, stitching or the like.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of the details comingwithin the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actualpractice, if desired.

I claim:

l. A device of the character described embodying a member-comprisingseparate portions which each have a plurality of spaced apart eyeletstherein, a lacing projecting through said eyelets and having ortionsthereof arranged in criss cross relation, a fastener arranged adjacentto each portion, each fastener embodying a main body portion of onepiece construction which has a pair of spaced parallel verticallydisposed curved sections of the same size and shape for the projectiontherethrough of portions of the lacing, an end of said fastener havingopposed slots, a retainer having portions thereof engaging said slots,the inner surface of the retainer being roughened so as to provide abetter gripping surface for the portion of the lacing which extendstherethrough, means connecting said fastener through the separateportions of the member with which it is being used, said retainer beingheld in such a position by the slots that the lacing can be freelyinserted through the retainer.

2. A device of the character described embodying a member comprisingseparate portions which each have a plurality of spaced apart eyeletstherein, a lacing projecting through said eyelets and having portionsthereof arranged in criss cross relation, a fastener arranged adjacentto each portion, each fastener embodying a'rnain body portion of onepiece construction which has a pair of spaced parallel verticallydisposed curved sections of the same size and shape for the projectiontherethrough of portions of the lacing, an end of said fastener havingopposed slots, a retainer having portions thereof engaging said slots,the inner surface of the retainer being roughened so as to provide abetter gripping surface for the portion of the lacing which extendstherethrough, means connecting said fastener through the separateportions of the member with which it is being used, said retainer beingheld in such a position by the slots that the lacing can be freelyinserted through the retainer, said retainer being arranged inwardlywith respect to the curved sections of the fastener.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 73,847Starrett M Jan. 28, 1868 2,083,331 Illsche Iune.8, 1937 2,475,339 SandyJuly 5, 1949 2,744,348 Smith May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 626,856 GermanyMar. 4, 1936 863,441 France .a Jan. 2,1941

